A Bothersome Trend

[purple]

Many of you here who know me, know that I tend to say what I believe. Here's another one of those times....so if you think you aren't going to like it; stop reading now.

I see that several folks either claim or want to claim "medication side effects". Why not just tell your doc about the side effects and ask for a different med? You don't have to put up with side effects. I don't. Insist on a different med. It's your right to do that.

I just believe that filing claims for side effects of medications is not the intent of what the system was set up for.

{off soapbox now}

[john999]

Purple

Many vets take multiple drugs for multiple SC conditions. Take methadone or morphine and try operating on them. Side effects are part of a person's disability. Drugs also interact with other drugs you may need and then you have some sort of side effect that is disabling in some way. Just read the possible side effects of any drug you take and then multiply that by the number of drugs you take. Half the people here have had awful side effects from medications. Many suffer constant pain rather than deal with side effects.

[Pete53]

Many of us may as well be lab rats cause the VA uses us to test stuff and usually don't inform. They gave me lisinopril which caused a hacking cough cause it was cheap and I had to ask to get something else.

They gave me Avandia for diabetes and I developed Coronary Artery Disease. I am now looking at paper work to file a lawsuit as Lawyers believe that I have a claim that could be won against the pharmaceutical.

I would hazzard a guess that 99% of Veterans are given medication and side effects are not properly explained.

For example most anti depressants cause either partial or complete impotency in men and I guarantee most younger men would not even consider taking them.

I am off my soapbox.

PS My regular outside Doc is not good at explaining side effects either.

[MikeR]

Many of us may as well be lab rats cause the VA uses us to test stuff and usually don't inform. They gave me lisinopril which caused a hacking cough cause it was cheap and I had to ask to get something else.

They gave me Avandia for diabetes and I developed Coronary Artery Disease. I am now looking at paper work to file a lawsuit as Lawyers believe that I have a claim that could be won against the pharmaceutical.

I would hazzard a guess that 99% of Veterans are given medication and side effects are not properly explained.

For example most anti depressants cause either partial or complete impotency in men and I guarantee most younger men would not even consider taking them.

I am off my soapbox.

PS My regular outside Doc is not good at explaining side effects either.

Has anyone seen my cheese?

[carlie]

Specific types and famalies of medications are RX'd for specific reasons.

When a doc RX's something, say, for blood pressure and the patient experience's

negative side effects, the doc and patient can try a different drug but it will be

something comparable to the initial drug and there most likely will still be some side effects.

I feel many medication side effects just can't be gotten away from.

If a veteran is RX'd a drug (on a regular basis) to treat SC'd disabilities, that

produces residual side effects the veteran is fully meets the criteria for

secondary SC for this.

For example, some family of drugs taken on a regular basis have side effects of causing diabetes.

This side effect can not be gotten away from.

The vet should file a claim for diabetes secondary to taking the drug for the SC'd condition.

Totally above board.

carlie

[purple]

Even in the civilian world, all the possible side effects are not fully explained. That is why they print out those full page sheets of side effects. As for interactions, I've recommended so many times on here for vets to google a "drug-drug interaction" site and input all of their meds. I've even gone so far as to print the info out and take it to the VA pharmacy and show it to them!

Being proactive when it comes to your meds is important.

[Pete53]

Many Vets do not have access to computers. We are very lucky.